Pipe coating apparatus



NOV- 4, 1941. l A. G. PERKINS `Erm.

PIPE COATING APPARATUS Filed sept. 9, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 j fm/6221,!

.ulll l New. 4, 1941. A. G. pl-:RkmsrrAL' 2,261,928

PIPE COATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 9, 1937 Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 taken on line 1-1, Figure 6.

Patented Nov. 4,

TTES

kills, Bualo, N. Y.,

-rns

eisers a. rer, www, ami ohm-les a. rer- -t to Centriline Cer- A poration, a corporation i Delaware Application September 9, 193i, Serial No. 63,644

(Ci. iii-45) 'l Cl.

'This invention relates to an apparatus which has been designed more particularly for applying a protective coating or lining-to the inner walls of pipe lines and conduits, such as water and sewer pipe lines and tunnels. Y j

One of its objects is the provision of an eilicient apparatus of this character which is designed and constructed to travel through the pipe line and as it does so automatically apply to the pipe-wall an even and durable coating of protective material, such as cement mortar.`

Another object of the invention is to provide simple and eiective means for conveying the coating material to its point of discharge, and

Ifor thoroughly and eectually agitating and breaking up the material Just prior to its dis- Y charge, in combination with means for delivering or discharging the material by air pressure and impacting it against the pipe wall.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an eiilcient trowel mechanism for uniformly smoothing down the material after it is applied to'the pipe-wall.

Other-features of the invention reside in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: l

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved coating apparatus, shown within a, pipeline for treating the interior wall thereof with a pro-- tective coating. Figure'2 is a front view of the ltroweling mechanism arranged withinthe pipe.

Figure 3 is a front view of the distributing disk -or conveyor taken in the planeoi line 3-4, Figure 1, for directing the coating material outwardly from the feed pipe to the spraying head of the apparatus. Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section'taken in the plane o1 linev 4 4, Figure 1. Figure 5 is a cross section taken on line 5 6, Figure 4. Figure 6 is a fragmentary transverse section taken online i tt-G, Figure 5. Figure 'lis -a vertical section Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveralviews.'

, pipes 26e and hier the cement andwater,

respectively. This hopper 2i terminates at its While my apparatus may be employed for coating different kinds of work, it has been primai-ily, designed for vtreating the inner walls of steel pipe lines with a protective coating, such for example as a plastic-like material as cement mortar.- To this end, the apparatus consists `generally of a carriage which is adapted toube "propelled through the-pipe line and which carries the working parte of the emicrania-such working'parts comprising a feed nozzle, a hopper for receiving the plastic material means Within said hopper for mixing and agitating the material, means for conveying the material to a second hopper where it is Vfurther mixed andV thence to a dispensing or discharge head where it is discharged by air pressure onto the pipe wall and means for troweling or smoothing down the material after it has been applied to the pipe wall.

Referring now to the drawings, le indicates a section of the steel pipe line through which my apparatus is designed to travel for treating or coating the inner wall thereof with a covering of concrete or like plaster material. The carriage of the apparatus, which carries its working parts, may be of any appropriate construction, that shown in the drawings by way ofy example, consisting of a structural. steel frame Il provided at one endA with traction or supporting wheels I2' mounted on a transverse axle i3 journaled in said framev and provided. at its opposite end with a steering wheel or caster I4 mounted on a swiveling fork I5 suitably supported on the frame il. Motion is transmitted purpose of propelling the carriage through the l' pipe at diierent speeds and thereby govern the .thickness of the coating material applied to the pipe wall. For the purpose of description, viewing ,Figurei or the drawings; the right hand end is the front end and the left hand end is the rear end of the machine.

Disposedv at the front end of the machine and mounted on wheels 2l is a hopper or container 25 into which the material is fed from :a supply nozzle o r conduit 28, the latter including feed rear end in a conduit or'passage 21 and extending axiallyv through these parts is an agit'aung or mixing unit including'an actuating shaft. 2l which is Journaled at one end in the end wall of the hopper and at its other in `ex'ipropriate f bearings. Applied to the 'front portion of this '.shaftareaseriesofpaddlesllwhichacttomix the elements of thematerial to the proper coxi'- sistency and disposedl in the passage 21 and mounted on the rear portion of said shaft is a screw conveyor 3l which forces the material through the passage 21.

The shaft 25, upon which the paddles 30 an screw conveyor 3l are mounted, is driven at a comparatively slow speed by the motor I8, as for example, from a gear train 32 to a gear reducer 33 connected by a universal joint 34 with a shaft 35 extending lengthwise of the machine having a sprocket 36 connected by a chain 31 with a sprocket 38 mounted on the front end of the shaft 29.

From the discharge end of the hopper 25, the material passes into a second vhopper or container 39 Where it is further. agitatedby a second series of paddles 4B mounted on a tubular shaft 4I which is journaled at one end in the end wall of the hopper and at the other end in a bearing 42 at the rear end ofthe machine. The mixed material is conveyed from lapping relation with the front trowels 65 which u are mounted independently on shorter exible rods 61. These rods are adapted to be bowed more or less when operatively engaged with the pipe-wall and are arranged in spaced radial relation' to simulatethe shape of a bell and are attached at4 their inner ends at 58 to a hub 59 formed on the rear chamber-plate 41. Connected to the rods 56 and 51 intermediate their ends are tie rods 6i) fulcrumed to companion collars 6l fixed to a horizontal pushthis second hopper through a feed conduit 43 The means for dispensing or discharging the coatingmaterial by air pressurey and impacting it onto the pipe wall is preferably constructed as follows:

At its rear or discharge end `the feed conduit 43 has a substantially cylindrical chamber 41 of somewhat larger diameter than said conduit and? 'consisting of axially-spaced, dished plates or disks d@ providing an annular peripheral discharge lis for the emission of the mate- Between the rial therefrom onto the pipe-wall. disks 48 in concentric spaced relation thereto and in facial relation to the conduit 4 3 is a revolving head or conveyor 50'mounted on the shaft 4| to'turn therewith and having a plurality of spiral blades 5| on its face for directing the plastic material from the center of the chamber 41 to the outer or peripheral portion thereof from where it is sprayed onto the pipewall by a source of air pressure. The air pressure is connected from a. suitable source of supply, not shown, to an annular pipe 52 applied to one of the discs 48 and having a plurality 'of radial jets 53 projecting therefrom into the peripheral portion of the chamber 41 in the manner shown in Figures 4-7 inclusive, and

having their discharge ends facing outwardly rod sz suding1y mounted in the'tubmar shaft 4| and threaded at its front end for actuation by a nut or hand wheel 63, which when turned in one direction or `the other, tends to bow 4 the rods to govern-the tension of the trowels on the cement mortar and to adapt them to varying cross-sectional areas and contours of the pipe. By this construction, as the coating machine travels through the pipe line, the trowels exert a uniform pressure on the applied coating and evenly smooth it down throughout its entire circumference. As shown, the trowels are provided with a plurality of slits 54 to render them flexible circumferentially of the pipe.

Mounted on the discharge end of the hopper 25 is an indicator for indicating to the operator the degree of consistency of the coating material, this indicator consisting of a swinging valve or damper 64 extending part-way across the hopper-pasage 21 and having an arm 65 extending therefrom connected by a link 66 with a movable pointer 61 arranged to traverse an indicator scale 68 properly calibrated to A register the consistency of the material passing through the hopper. Should the material be of a stiff consistency the valve 64 will be swung forwardly and register that consistency on the indicator; should the material be comparatively thin, the valve will be moved only slightly or not be affected at all and this will be indicated at the scale, a spring 69 bearing against the material passing through the hopper and` thereby the water supply is automatically regulated to provide for the proper consistency of the mix. r

For the purpose of uniformly smoothing down the coating material after it has been applied to the pipe-wall I provide a troweling mechanism which is disposed immediately to the rear of the dispensing head. In its pre- .ferred construction, this troweling mechanism e on comparatively long flexible rods 56 in over- If desired, one of the walls 48 of the chamber 41 may be provided with vents or ports 12 preferably disposed immediately below the -jets 53 and through which air may be drawn into such chamber for -increasing the spraying vaction of the mortar onto the pipe-wall.

We claim as our invention:

1. A n apparatus for lining pipe walls, comprising a feed. conduit for the coating material having an axial discharge terminating in an enlarged chamber having a peripheral discharge, a revolving head arranged in said chamber in operative facial-relation to the conduit-discharge and having means thereon for directing the coating material uniformly toward said chamber-discharge, and means interposed between the periphery of said revolving head and said chamber-discharge for introducing air under pressure against the coating material and directing it outwardly against the pipe-wall.

2. An apparatus for lining pipe walls, coma revolving head arranged in said chamber'in operative facial vrelation to the conduit-discharge and having'spiral like blades thereon radiating from the center of the head and terminating at their outer ends short of its peripheral-discharge; for directing and forcing the coating material from the center of said chamber outwardly toward said peripheral chamber-discharge, and

uid pressure means applied to said head and' having outlets opening into the same between its periphery and the opposing ends of said blades for forcing the material outwardly through thev peripheral-discharge onto the pipe-wall.

3. An apparatus for lining pipe walls, comprising a feed conduit for the coating material havin an axial discharge terminating in an enlarged chamber having a peripheral discharge, a revolving head arranged in said chamber in operative facial relation to the conduit-discharge and having means thereon for directing the coating material uniformly toward said chamberdischarge, and a plurality of air jets arranged in an annular row labout said chamber short of its peripheral discharge for directing the coating material outwardly in spray-like fashion against the pipe-wall.

4. An apparatus for lining pipe walls, comprising a feed conduit for the coating material having an axial discharge terminating in an enlarged chamber having a peripheral discharge, a revolving head arrangedin saidchamber in operative facial relation to the conduit-discharge and having means thereon for directing the coating material uniformly Ytoward said chamberdischarge, a pluralitygof air jets arranged in an annular row about said chamber short of its peripheral discharge for directing the coating material outwardly in spray-like fashion against the pipe-wall, and an air supply pipe for said iets extending about said chamber and decreasing in diameter from its medial inlet to the diametricallly opposite ends thereof.

ing a structure adaptedto travel through the pipe, a container for receiving a supply of coating material and having a conduit in communica- A tion therewith, means for positively and continuously feeding the material through said conduit, a second container for receiving the supply of coating material from said first-named container and having a feed conduit in communication therewith, means for positively and continuously7 Vfeeding the material through said feed-conduit toward its discharge end, an annular chamber having a peripheral discharge and in communicating relation with said'last-named feed conduit."a revolving conveyor means within said chamber for conducting the material toward its peripheral discharge, and pressure means for delivering the -material through said discharge onto the pipe-wall.

6. Anapparatus for lining pipe walls, comprising a hopper for the coating material including a feed conduit,'means in said conduit actuated by the material flowing therethrough; the degree of movement of said means being determined by the consistency of the material, a consistency indicator operatively connected to said materialactuated means, and means for applying said material to the pipe wall.

7. An apparatus for lining pipe walls, comprising a feed conduit for the coating material having an axial discharge terminating in an enlarged chamber having a peripheral discharge,

a revolving head arranged in said chamber in operative facial relation to the conduit-discharge anclhaving means thereon for directing the coating material uniformly toward said chamber-discharge, and a plurality of air jets arranged in an annular row about said chamber short of its lperipheral dischargefor directing the coating material outwardlyl in uspray-like fashion against the pipe-wall, said chamber having air ports in one of its walls in proximity tosaid air jets.

ALBERT G. PERKINS. CHARLES E. PERmNS.

5. 'An apparatus for lining pipe walls, compris-I 

